Variable-speed mechanism.



No. 772,246. PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904. P. MILLER.

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION IILBD rmzs. 1904.

rgo MODEL. 4 sums-sum 1.

'IIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHHH I I I l I I l w. JtIIIW- W mu No. 772,246.PATENTED 0017.11, 1904-.

' F. MILLER.

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION II LED FEB. 23. 1904. N0 MODEL- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904.

F.- MILLER.

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.23. 1904.

4 SHEETfl-BHEET 3.

NO MODEL.

luuenfoz No. 772,246. PATENTED 001'.11,'1904.

F.1VIILLER. r

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED mums. 1904. v 7 NO MODEL. 7 I 4 snnnrs-snsm 4.

UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904.

PATENT QFFICE.

VARIABLE-SPEED MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,246, dated October11, 1904.

Application filed February 23, 1904. Serial No. 194,798. No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoIs MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bellevue,

in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Variable-Speed Mechanisms; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in variable-speed mechanisms; andthe object of my invention is to produce a simple, cheap, andeasily-operated device of this kind by which a great number of differentspeeds may be obtained from a power mechanism running at constant speedand one in which all the shifting devices will be positively lockedexcept the one that is in use, thus avoiding breakage by unskilfulhandling.

With these objects my invention consists in the construction andcombinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved device, the cover for the gearing being removed. Fig. 2 isalongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation lookingfrom the righthand end of Fig. 1, 'parts being omitted. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section of a part of a modification, showing the positionof the parts and the construction when few speed variations arerequired. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6looking from the right and parts being omitted. Fig.

- 6 is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation,

of the parts shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a view of the shifting leveror fork 1 represents a plate of a generally circular shape, with "bossesfor the various bearings arranged around the plate and a projection lfor the support of the movable parts. 2 represents a similar plate, andin the drawings I have shown it as provided with aprojection 2 for thereception of the driving-shaft 4. This shaft, however, may be supportedby separate hearings or any suitable means. In

actual use the plates 1 and 2 are connected by a cover to keep dirt,&c., out of the gearing and to prevent accidents, thus forming acomplete housing for the device; but this cover is not shown inthedrawings.

3 represents a hollow driven member or shaft with gear-'wlieels3 and 3thereon, preferably near one end thereof. These gearwheels may be madeintegral with the hollow member or shaft 3 or may be made separatetherefrom and keyed or fastened thereon in any suitable manner. Shouldthe shaft 3 be solid, it might conveniently be placed alongside theshaft 4, which represents the driving or transmitting shaft, to whichare fastened two driving-gears L and I of different sizes. Any suitablemeans of fastening these gear-wheels to the shaft may be employed. Ifdesired, the shaft 3 may be the driving-shaft and the shaft I the drivenshaft.

5, 6, 7 and 8 represent shafts for the support of the sliding sleevescarrying the transmitting gear-wheels. They may extend completelythrough the housings, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 2, or they maybe provided with reduced ends engaging the housing, as shown in theupper part of Fig. 2. They may be also studs fastened to or extendingthrough the housings, or rods or similar devices may be provided. befastened at each end by means of pins or nuts or any other suitablemeans.

9 represents a sleeve mounted on the shaft 5 and provided withgear-wheels 9, 9", and 9 of different sizes, though the size of theThese supports may gear-wheels is a matter of selection. This sleeve ismovable freely upon the shaft or rod 5 by means of a shifter-rod 13,which is provided with a projecting ,portion or collar engaging thegroove 9 in the sleeve 9. On the shafts 6, 7 and 8 are mounted similarsleeves 10, 11, and 12 of the same construction as the sleeve 9 and eachprovided with three gear-wheels, those on the sleeves 10 and 11 beingnumbered 10, 10 10", 11, 11 and 11,

respectively, these gear-wheels, however, on

the same sleeve being all of different sizes and being of differentsizes fromthe gear-wheels on the other sleeves. All these gear-wheelsare staggered or provided with staggered teeth. The gear-wheels,however, may be mounted directly on the shafts without using sleeves,

in which case the grooves for engaging the shifter-rods are cut in theshafts instead of in the sleeves, said shafts being in that case movablymounted in the housings 1 and 2 and adapted to slide therein.

13 represents a shifter-rod provided with recessed portions 15 and 16and a projecting portion 14, which engages in the groove 9. A similarshifter-rod is provided for each of the other sleeves 6, 7 and 8.

On the projecting portion 1 of the plate 1 is mounted a sleeve 26, whichis provided with a circular projection 28, which is provided with aconcave depression or recess 29. (See Fig. 5.) On the sleeve 26 ismounted a key 27, which is fastened to said sleeve, which key engageswith said sleeve and also with another sleeve, 30, mounted on the sleeve26, which sleeve 30 is provided with a recess 31 and asmall projectingportion 32. (See Figs. 5 and 6.)

33 represents a forked shifting-lever provided with lugs or segments 34,which are adapted to engage with the circular groove or recess 31.

35 represents the drivingpulley on the transmitting-shaft 4, and 36represents the driven pulley on the driven member or shaft 3. Instead ofpulleys it is obvious that sprocket-wheels or gear-wheels might be used.

37 represents a suitable base to which the plates 1 and 2 are attached,and 38 represents standards providing bearings for the drivingshaft 4.The driving-sh aft rotates constantly, and when it is desired to rotatethe hollow shaft 3 the sleeve 9, for example, is shifted either to theright or to the left from the position shown in Fig. 2 until the gear 9engages with the gear-wheel 4, thereby 'causing the gearwheel 9 toengage the gear-wheel 3, or if shifted in the other direction thegear-wheel 9 engages the gear-wheel 4", and the gear-wheel 9 engages thegear-wheel 3 As the gearwheels 4, 4", 9 and 9 are all of differentsizes, by shifting the sleeve 9, as described,variable speeds may beimparted to the hollow shaft 3. The other sleeves may be similarlyshifted. The parts are so arranged that only one sleeve can be shiftedat a time, the other sleeves being locked while one sleeve is shifted.The locking is effected by means of the circular projection 28, whichengages a corresponding circular groove in each of the shifting-rods,holding them locked. In order to permit these shifter-rods to be moved,the sleeve'26 is rotated until the concave portion 29 is opposite theshifter-rod which it is desired to move. The. projection 32 in thesleeve 30 then engages with a circular groove in the shifter-rod whichit is desired to move. The sleeve 30 is then shifted by means of thelever 33,- the points 34 of which engage in the groove 31, moving thegears into the desired position. The sleeve 26 may be rotated in anydesirable wayas, for instance, by means of short handles (not shown)secured thereto. This sleeve is preferably prevented from sliding uponthe part 1 of the housing by means of a collar. (Not shown.) The variousgearwheels are preferably made, as shown in 1, with some of the teethcut away at one or both edges. For instance, the gear-wheels 9 and 9show the alternate gear-teeth shorter than the main teeth, while thegear-wheel 9 has its alternate gear-teeth cut away at opposite ends. Thegear-wheels being made of different sizes, a great many variations inspeed may be obtained. The gear-wheels are preferably arrangedstaggered, as shown in Fig. 1. ,In case it is not necessary to obtain somany different variations in speed the apparatus may be simplified, asshown in Fig. 4, in which construction only one shiftable sleeve orshaft with gear-wheels thereon is used. The function, however, is thesame no matter how many sleeves are used.

It is obvious that the principle of my invention may be embodied inother forms of apparatus, and I therefore wish it to be distinctlyunderstood that I do not limit myself to the exact details shown anddescribed.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim asnew, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a variable-speed mechanism, the combination of a'driving-shaft, adriven shaft, each provided with gears, a plurality of shiftable deviceseach provided with gears adapted to be moved into and out of connectionwith the gears on said shafts, and means for l0cl ing said devicesagainst movement, substantially as described.

2. In a variable-gear mechanism, the combination of a driving-shaft, adriven shaft, each provided with gears, a plurality of shiftable deviceseach provided with gears adapted to be moved into and out of connectionwith the gears on said shafts, means for shifting each of said shiftabledevices, and locking means so arranged that only one of said shiftabledevices can be shifted at one time, substantially as described.

3. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving-shaft, adriven shaft, each provided with gears, a plurality of shiftable devicesmounted concentrically in relation to said driven shaft, each of saidshiftable devices being provided with gears of difierent sizes, meansfor moving the gears on said shiftable devices into and out ofengagement with the gears on said driving and driven shaft, and meansfor locking any or all of said shifting devices against movement,substantially as described.

4. In a variable-speed mechanism, the combination of a drivingshaftprovided with gears of different sizes, a hollow driven shaft throughwhich said driving-shaft passes, said driven shaft being provided withgears, a plurality of shiftable devices each provided with ICO saidshiftable devices, and means for locking all but one of said shiftabledevices, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a variable-speed mechanism, the combination of a hollow drivenshaft, provided with gears, a driving-shaft passing through said hollowshaft and provided with gears of different sizes, a plurality ofshiftable devices concentrically mounted around said hollow driven shaftand provided with gears, separate means for shifting each of saidshiftable devices, a common means adapted to engage with and move onlyone at a time of said shifting means, and means for locking all of saidshifting means except one, substantially as described.

7 In a variable-speed gear, the combination of-a hollow driven shaftprovided with gears, a driving-shaft passing through said a driven shaftand provided with gears of different sizes, shiftable devices consistingof sleeves provided with gears of different sizes, supports for saiddevices, a shifting-rod for each of said shiftable devices, a commonmeans adapted to move each of said shiftingrods, but only oneat a. time,and locking means adapted to look all of said shifting-rods exceptingone at a time, substantially as described.

8. In a variable-speed mechanism, the combination of a housing,including parallel plates, a hollow driven shaft provided with gearsmounted in one of said plates, a driving-shaft passing through saidhousing and through said driven shaft and provided with gears ofdifferent/sizes, a plurality of supports concentrically mounted in saidplates, around said driven shaft, a shifting-sleeve provided with gearsof different sizes, mounted on each one of said supports, a shiftingrodengaging each of said sleeves, movable means for operating saidshifting-rods, but only one at a time, and means for looking all of saidshifting-rods except one, substantially as described.

9. .In a variable-speed mechanism, the combination of shiftable deviceseach provided with gears, gearing adapted to mesh with said gears, ashifting-rod for each of said shiftable devices, each of said rods beingprovided with a groove, and a revoluble sleeve provided with a circularprojection engaging said groove in each of said shifting-rods, saidprojection being provided with a cut-away portion, whereby by movingsaid sleeve one of said rods may be shifted and the others kept locked,substantially as described,

10. In a variable-speed mechanism, the combination of shiftable deviceseach provided,

with gears, gearing cooperating with said gears, a shifting-rod for eachof sa1d shiftable devices, each of said shifting-rods being providedwith a groove near its end, a revoluble sleeve provided with aprojection adapted to engage the groove in each of said shiftingrods inturn, means for sliding said sleeve thereby moving one of saidshifting-rods and the corresponding shiftable device, and means forlooking all of said rods except one, substantially as described,

11. In a variable-speed mechanism, the combination of a driving-shaftprovided with gears of different sizes, bearings for said shaft, ahousing for said gear mechanism, including two parallel plates, eachprovided with a projection, a hollow driven shaft through which saiddriving-shaft passes, said driven shaft being provided with gears andpassing through one of said plates, supports concentrically mountedbetween said plates around said driven shaft, 'a shiftable sleeveprovided with gears of different sizes, mounted on each one of saidsupports, a shifting-rod for each of said sleeves, said rod beingprovided with two grooves,a revoluble sleeve provided with a circularprojection engaging one of said grooves in each of said shifting-rods,said circular projection being provided with a cut-away portion, wherebyone of said shifting-rods may be moved at a time, a second sleevemounted on said first-named sleeve and provided with a projectionadapted to engage the second groove in each of saidshifting-rods inturn, and a pivoted lever for. engaging said second sleeve, whereby oneof said shifting-rods can be moved and only one at a time, to move thecorresponding shifting rod and sleeve so that the gears on said sleevewill be moved into engagement with the gears on the driving and d-rivenshaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS MILLER.

Witnesses:

H. E. HONHORST, J. M. JERvIs.

